BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 9 : One in five Brunei residents has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine under the national vaccination program, the Brunei government announced on Friday night (July 9).

According to the Ministry of Health, as of July 8, 90, 500 individuals have been administered with at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, accounting for 20 percent of the Sultanate's total population, and 17, 267 people have received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, accounting for 3.8 percent of the total population.

The Brunei government officially launched the third phase of its national vaccination program on July 5, providing free Covid-19 vaccination for all citizens and residents over 18 years old in the country, aiming to achieve at least 70 percent vaccination coverage by the end of this year.

The first phase mainly targeted medical personnel, border control personnel fighting against the epidemic in the front line, and senior citizens and students pursuing studies abroad, while the second phase is for teachers, childcare staff and adults with chronic diseases.

Brunei previously announced that five Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, China's Sinopharm, and Johnson and Johnson will be administered in the country. All Brunei citizens and residents, including foreign nationals with a valid identification card, can receive the COVID-19 vaccination for free.

Brunei reported no new confirmed Covid-19 cases on Friday, maintaining the national tally at 266.

There are still eight active cases being treated and monitored at the National Isolation Centre, who are all in stable condition.

Brunei has recorded 429 days without local Covid-19 infection cases since the last local case on May 6, 2020.

There have been a total of 255 recovered patients and three deaths reported from Covid-19 so far in the country.

 - Xinhua